To celebrate legendary Quentin Tarantino’s film career spanning two decades, Miramax, NCM Fathom Events and IGN are bringing two of his most acclaimed movies back into theaters for one night each. This December you can catch both Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in movie theaters nationwide.
Tarantino XX: ‘Reservoir Dogs’ 20th Anniversary Event will hit select movie theaters nationwide on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. local time. In 1992, Tarantino introduced himself to the film scene with his debut of Reservoir Dogs. Twenty years later, the crime-thriller is back in theaters. Introducing key elements – non-linear storytelling, violent crime, and intricate dialogue- that have become hallmarks of Tarantino’s work, Reservoir Dogs follows the story of six criminals hired to carry out a diamond heist, but when the police show up at the time of the robbery, panic spreads, violence ensues and suspicions grow. Reservoir Dogs 20th Anniversary Event will also feature trailers hand-picked by Tarantino that influenced his work, and exclusive new interviews.
Tarantino XX: ‘Pulp Fiction’ Event hits theaters two days later on Thursday Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. local time. Recognized on AFI’s Top 100 list, Pulp Fiction weaves three interconnected stories of seemingly unrelated people into an intricate tale of violence and redemption. Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are two hitmen out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out while he is away. Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. These intersecting storylines starring John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman are brought together in a highly-stylized way that has become a cinema classic.
Hollywood.com can also give you an exclusive look at the Pulp Fiction themed panel of the five part fold-out cover/interior of the upcoming box set Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection Blu-ray. The artwork is from artist Ken Taylor, whose work has been previously utilized by the Mondo poster company. Check it out here.
Follow Sydney on Twitter @SydneyBucksbaum
[Photo Credit: Miramax Films]
More:
'Django Unchained': The Highs and Lows of a Tarantino Movie — TRAILER
Some Advice for Clark Kent After Quitting His Job and Joining the Internet
'Iron Man 3': What Secrets Does the Trailer Reveal?
From Our Partners:
Jaw-Dropping Actor Transformations (Moviefone) Oops! Biggest Comedy Movie Mistakes(Moviefone)

An international trailer for Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph just hit the web, and it’s got us even more excited than we already were!
The 3D animated movie about an arcade game villain who wants a chance to be the good guy for once stars the voices of A-list funnypeople John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch. The trailer gives us a peak at what happens when the arcade that houses all the characters’ games shuts down for the night, akin to Toy Story’s toys coming out to play when the kids are gone. We also get an idea of what the big plot point is going to be: after Wreck-It Ralph game-jumps to escape the judgment he feels for being a bad guy, he disrupts the system and the game might be shut down for good. It’s up to Ralph to save the day and become the good guy he always wanted to be.
Wreck-It Ralph hits theaters in 3D on November 2. Watch the new trailer below:
Follow Sydney on Twitter @SydneyBucksbaum
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney]
More:
'Wreck-It Ralph' Promos Go Vintage
'Wreck-It Ralph': A Trailer So Joyful It'll Recall Memories of Childhood
‘Wreck-It Ralph’: Director Rich Moore on Casting Comedians and Video Game Favorites

In a clever marketing campaign for Disney’s upcoming animated movie Wreck-It Ralph, the video game behind the titular character gets a make-under of sorts. The studio has just released a vintage-looking commercial for "Fix It Felix, Jr.," the arcade game from which Wreck It Ralph (John C. Reilly) escapes to end his reign as a bad guy.
This retro ad has all the components to take us back to the days before you could log onto the web and play any game you want. Back to the days when you actually went to the arcade to play. It even has the realistic feel of spotty antenna television.
Check out the commercial below:
Disney’s use of nostalgia to promote an upcoming movie is nothing new. When Toy Story 3 was making its PR rounds, Pixar released this awesome vintage ad for Ned Beatty’s Lots’-o-Huggin’ Bear:
Another clever marketing campaign that hit the web recently comes care of Pixar’s upcoming Monsters University, the prequel to Monsters Inc. Since the movie focuses on Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully’s (John Goodman) collegiate years, Pixar has launched an extremely authentic college website for Monsters University. Check it out here.
Monsters University doesn’t hit theaters until June 21, 2013, but Wreck It Ralph debuts November 2.
Follow Sydney on Twitter @SydneyBucksbaum
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures]
More:
'Wreck-It Ralph': A Trailer So Joyful It'll Recall Memories of Childhood
Wreck-It Ralph’: Director Rich Moore on Casting Comedians and Video Game Favorites
'Wreck-It Ralph' Cast Includes Video Game Classics — POSTER

How's this for a Christmas miracle: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are collaborating on a Christmas album, featuring special guests like Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, and Kenny G. That's right, Danny and Sandy will be together again for the first time in over 30 years, and they'll be singing Christmas carols. Their holiday album, This Christmas, will be available November 13.
Along with the requisite Christmas tunes you expect to hear around the holidays (like "White Christmas" and "Silent Night"), this yuletide album will also feature a new original song from John Farrar, the guy who brought you the iconic Grease anthem, "You’re the One That I Want." The new song, "I Think You Might Like It," is a follow-up of sorts to the song that caused Travolta's and Newton-John's careers to skyrocket.
In the spirit of the holiday for which this album is about, Travolta and Newton-John will donate the artist proceeds from the album equally to their respective charities, the Jett Travolta Foundation and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. So if you do buy this album — out of curiosity to see if Travolta and Newton-John still have what it takes to sing and sell records, out of nostalgia for the good old days of sock hops, T-Birds and Pink Ladies, or out of sheer love of the holidays — you can also check “donate to charity” off your holiday to-do list.
The one fault I can find with this bundle of holiday goodness is the lack of Hannukah songs. I know us Jews don’t really have catchy holiday jingles (I mean, there’s only so many times you can sing "Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel" before you want to stick pins in your eyes), but they could have tailored the new song to appeal to other religions, too. Hey, if South Park can do it, Grease definitely can. I’m thinking it can easily be changed to something along the lines of “I Think You Might Like The Latkes…” Check out the track list for This Christmas below and sound off in the comments with any glaring omissions you spot.
This Christmas Track List:
1. Baby It’s Cold Outside
2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (featuring Kenny G)
3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (featuring Barbra Streisand)
4. This Christmas (featuring Chick Corea)
5. Silent Night
6. The Christmas Waltz
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (featuring Cliff Richard)
8. Winter Wonderland (featuring Tony Bennett and The Count Basie Orchestra)
9. White Christmas
10. I Think You Might Like It
11. The Christmas Song
12. Deck the Halls (featuring James Taylor)
13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley)
Follow Sydney on Twitter @SydneyBucksbaum
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
More:
13 Amazon Reviews of 'The Casual Vacancy' Reveal That J.K. Rowling is Tearing Us Apart
Is That Paul Ryan or Nathan Scott? Look Closer.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Selena Gomez Want You to 'Vote 4 Stuff' This November
From Our Partners:
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Tell-All Could Be First Step Toward Bid for White House, Writes Ian Halperin — EXCLUSIVE GUEST BLOG
(Celebuzz)
Hilary Swank Lists Pacific Palisades Mansion for 9.5 Million: Step Inside the Oscar Winner’s Home — PHOTOS
(Celebuzz)

Nail trends are taking Hollywood by storm, so much so that during the Emmys red carpet coverage last Sunday, E! debuted their mani-cam—a miniature red carpet celebs could “walk” their fingers down to show off their edgy, pretty, or crazy nail fashion. While New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel showed off her nail art television sets and Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland walked her inverted French manicured fingers down the red carpet, Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne simultaneously wowed and enraged viewers with her ultra-glam fingertips.
In the mani-cam, she appeared to be sporting edgy, black, sparkly nails — a nice contrast to her feminine light purple dress and matching hair. However, Osbourne shocked viewers when she explained she was actually wearing a special polish created by high-end jeweler Azature. The 0.5 oz. bottle costs $250,000 dollars and contains 267 carats of black diamonds.
Yeah, you read that right. One nail polish bottle…
… half an ounce of liquid…
… a quarter of a million dollars.
… um, what?!
After an outpouring of criticism from fans and viewers for sporting what is literally the most expensive manicure in the history of the world, Osbourne issued an apology on her Twitter, though admitted she didn’t regret the choice since it was a “once in a lifetime experience” and “it made [her] feel like a queen!”
While Osbourne didn’t buy the bottle, or pay anything at all for her manicure — she explained Twitter that she was "picked to wear it" — the very idea of wearing diamond nail polish remains ridiculously, insanely unnecessary. So, we rounded up a few other ways to spend $250,000 that might be just a little bit more worth it. If you’re really itching to spend that much money, here are some ways to get more bang for your buck:
For $107,000: Buy Justin Bieber’s Car
Although you may not enjoy it as much you might think…
For $14,990: Rent Virgin Tycoon Richard Branson’s Australian Island, Makepeace
The heart-shaped island off the coast of Noosa can accommodate up to 22 people. Now that’s what I call a vacation!
For $100,000: Bid On Autographed Paul McCartney Acoustic Guitar
But be quick — you only have 22 days left to bid!
For $200,000: Plan Nuptials for Your Pet
Some people really love their pets.
For $255,000: Buy the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Liquor
This bottle of Spluch tequila is solid platinum and white gold. For that much money, the tequila better be damn smooth. I’m just sayin'.
For $508 per pound: Snack on Gold-Encrusted Chocolate
These Delafee chocolates have edible 24-karat gold flakes applied to each individual praline by hand.
[Photo Credit: WENN]
More:
Herbert Lom, 'Pink Panther' Actor, Dies at 95
John Travolta Triumphs Against Author of Bathhouse Sex Book
Amanda Bynes' Attorney Pleads Not Guilty for Her on Hit-and-Runs Charges

The names have been chosen, and the odds were ever in the favor of 11 actors who round out the rest of the cast of the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. Joining the ranks of Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, and Donald Sutherland, these names were released by Lionsgate in one big fell swoop, quite the opposite of how they oh-so-slowly announced new additions such as Sam Claflin as heartthrob Finnick O’Dair and Jena Malone as lethal Johanna Mason over the past few months.
The new cast members (listed in full below) make up the rest of the (SPOILER ALERT) tributes who previously won their respective Hunger Games and will now be forced to compete again. This all-star version is for the Quarter Quell, the 75th anniversary of the Capitol’s defeat over the rebelling Districts and the resulting annual battle-to-the-death competition.
Catching Fire has already started shooting in Georgia this month, before moving to Hawaii to shoot the tropical arena in which the bloody competition takes place. The film will hit theaters next Thanksgiving.
The rest of the tributes:
James Logan: Tribute from District 5
Ivette Li-Sanchez: Tribute from District 5
Justin Hix: Tribute from District 6
Megan Hayes: Tribute from District 6
Bobby Jordan: Blight from District 7
John Casino: Woof from District 8
Elena Sanchez: Cecelia from District 8
Daniel Bernhardt: Tribute from District 9
Marian Greene: Tribute from District 9
Jackson Spidell: Tribute from District 10
Tiffany Waxler: Tribute from District 10
[Photo Credit: Lionsgate]
More:
J.K. Rowling's 'Casual Vacancy': Should It Become a Blockbuster Adaptation Too?
Does 'Red Dawn' Remake Work in a Post-Cold War America?
'The Hobbit': How Many Dwarves Does It Take to Slay a Dragon? — POSTER

The basic premise of most crime revenge dramas is how much of our humanity we're willing to trade to get back what the other people — the ostensible baddies — have taken from us. Oliver Stone returns to this familiar stomping ground with Savages a splashy adaptation of Don Winslow's novel about a unique love affair a major marijuana-dealing business and an increasingly violent pissing match between two SoCal growers and the Baja Cartel.
Stone's frenetic visual style is in full swing but even this Oscar-winning auteur can't quite raise the film from mediocrity. It's hard to care whether or not Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) rescue their gorgeous mutual girlfriend O (Blake Lively) from the cartel if O isn't engaging enough to persuade us she's worth the bloodshed. O (short for Ophelia — an allusion to her earthshaking climaxes) is not a well-written character to begin with but she's even less engaging as played by Lively. Johnson is unconvincing as the bleeding heart Ben and the details his character is given — extra earrings a shoddy-looking tattoo on his neck even white boy dreads at one point — undercut his believability even more. Kitsch is given a few prominent scars and a mean squint but he doesn't quite bring the weird slightly empty vibe of Chon to life.
On the villain side Benicio Del Toro chews every inch of scenery from Laguna Beach to Tijuana as Lado. He's rocking an intense moustache that he strokes when he's lying or being a creep (which is most of the time) a vaguely mullet-like wig and a fondness for torture. Salma Hayek takes no prisoners as the head of the cartel nicknamed Elena la Reina who is both a frustrated mom whose college-age daughter is blowing her off (aw!) and a brutally tough woman in a man's world. John Travolta definitely enjoys a bit of Pulp Fiction ridiculousness as Dennis a DEA official who's in Ben and Chon's pocket. It's hard to tell just how funny Savages is aiming to be. Lado Elena and Dennis are cartoonish but Ben Chon and O are earnest — which is to say a little bit boring.
The double- and triple-crossing is practically moot as is the wacky technology that Ben and Chon employ; it's like The Social Network meets surfers. The real meat of the movie is the flash and violence but it's not the kind of thing that stays with you like Stone's Natural Born Killers. Savages doesn't have the same lingering aftertaste. It's not that a movie needs to have some sort of message with its pointed commentary on the media's bloodlust but the gist of Savages — that we're all savages at heart or that we can easily become a savage given the right circumstances — is not that interesting or unique.
Oddly enough Savages pulls a few punches when it comes to its source material (hard to believe when the movie kicks off with a glimpse of an abattoir-like enclosure and close-ups of men begging for their lives just as a chainsaw revs in the background). Winslow's book is a quick enjoyable read with an interesting on-page style that's hard to replicate verbally. It has a sort of ADD-addled feel that the movie tries to but doesn't quite capture. While it's not always fair to compare an adaptation to the book it's based on Winslow is both the author and one of the screenplay writers so some of the choices made behind the scenes don't quite add up. Cut are significant and menacing back story for Lado and all of the zestiness out of O. Why add in certain plot points and take out others unless it was to give one of its big name stars more screen time? The most interesting part of the story the love story is treated like a wink wink homoerotic thing than an actual relationship between three people who adore each other which is how it's portrayed in the book. It's hard not to be a little disappointed especially given Stone's no-f**ks-given attitude. (Or as O would say baditude.)
That said it is a somewhat entertaining diversion and a nice tour of lifestyles of the rich and criminal. Lively is all tangled tan limbs and luxurious hippie clothes and the homes they frequent whether on Laguna Beach or a desert compound are meticulously decorated with exquisite expensive taste. Santa Muerte imagery also figures heavily in the background of many scenes. The scenery is gorgeous — even the marijuana looks amazing. It's good for adults to have another R-rated choice in what's usually a season dominated by blockbusters but in years to come you'll more likely to reach for your old True Romance DVD than Savages.

Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
="font-style:>

In a post-Harry Potter Avatar and Lord of the Rings world the descriptors "sci-fi" and "fantasy" conjure up particular imagery and ideas. The Hunger Games abolishes those expectations rooting its alternate universe in a familiar reality filled with human characters tangible environments and terrifying consequences. Computer graphics are a rarity in writer/director Gary Ross' slow-burn thriller wisely setting aside effects and big action to focus on star Jennifer Lawrence's character's emotional struggle as she embarks on the unthinkable: a 24-person death match on display for the entire nation's viewing pleasure. The final product is a gut-wrenching mature young adult fiction adaptation diffused by occasional meandering but with enough unexpected choices to keep audiences on their toes.
Panem a reconfigured post-apocalyptic America is sectioned off into 12 unique districts and ruled under an iron thumb by the oppressive leaders of The Capitol. To keep the districts producing their specific resources and prevent them from rebelling The Capitol created The Hunger Games an annual competition pitting two 18-or-under "tributes" from each district in a battle to the death. During the ritual tribute "Reaping " teenage Katniss (Lawrence) watches as her 12-year-old sister Primrose is chosen for battle—and quickly jumps to her aid becoming the first District 12 citizen to volunteer for the games. Joined by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) a meek baker's son and the second tribute Effie the resident designer and Haymitch a former Hunger Games winner-turned-alcoholic-turned-mentor Katniss rides off to The Capitol to train and compete in the 74th Annual Hunger Games.
The greatest triumph of The Hunger Games is Ross' rich realization of the book's many worlds: District 12 is painted as a reminiscent Southern mining town haunting and vibrant; The Capitol is a utopian metropolis obsessed with design and flair; and The Hunger Games battleground is a sprawling forest peppered with Truman Show-esque additions that remind you it's all being controlled by overseers. The small-scale production value adds to the character-first approach and even when the story segues to larger arenas like a tickertape parade in The Capitol's grand Avenue of Tributes hall it's all about Katniss.
For fans the script hits every beat a nearly note-for-note interpretation of author Suzanne Collins' original novel—but those unfamiliar shouldn't worry about missing anything. Ross knows his way around a sharp screenplay (he's the writer of Big Pleasantville and Seabiscuit) and he's comfortable dropping us right into the action. His characters are equally as colorful as Panem Harrelson sticking out as the former tribute enlivened by the chance to coach winners. He's funny he's discreet he's shaded—a quality all the cast members share. As a director Ross employs a distinct often-grating perspective. His shaky cam style emphasizes the reality of the story but in fight scenarios—and even simple establishing shots of District 12's goings-on—the details are lost in motion blur.
But the dread of the scenario is enough to make Hunger Games an engrossing blockbuster. The lead-up to the actual competition is an uncomfortable and biting satire of reality television sports and everything that commands an audience in modern society. Katniss' brooding friend Gale tells her before she departs "What if nobody watched?" speculating that carnage might end if people could turn away. Unfortunately they can't—forcing Katniss and Peeta to become "stars" of the Hunger Games. The duo are pushed to gussy themselves up put on a show and play up their romance for better ratings. Lawrence channels her reserved Academy Award-nominated Winter's Bone character to inhabit Katniss' frustration with the system. She's great at hunting but she doesn't want to kill. She's compassionate and considerate but has no interest in bowing down to the system. She's a leader but she knows full well she's playing The Capitol's game. Even with 23 other contestants vying for the top spot—like American Idol with machetes complete with Ryan Seacrest stand-in Caesar Flickerman (the dazzling Stanley Tucci)—Katniss' greatest hurdle is internal. A brave move for a movie aimed at a young audience.
By the time the actual Games roll around (the movie clocks in at two and a half hours) there's a need to amp up the pace that never comes and The Hunger Games loses footing. Katniss' goal is to avoid the action hiding in trees and caves waiting patiently for the other tributes to off themselves—but the tactic isn't all that thrilling for those watching. Luckily Lawrence Hutcherson and the ensemble of young actors still deliver when they cross paths and particular beats pack all the punch an all-out deathwatch should. PG-13 be damned the film doesn't skimp on the bloodshed even when it comes to killing off children. The Hunger Games bites off a lot for the first film of a franchise and does so bravely and boldly. It may not make it to the end alive but it doesn't go down without a fight.
="font-style:>

S1E6: I have made mention in the past about my preference when it comes to Person of Interest episodes for those that focus strongly on the backstory of either Reese or Finch, or ones that play heavily to the more overarching storyline. This week’s episode, “The Fix,” accomplishes both of those tasks, but in a way unlike that which we have seen from the show so far—which is a third plus (it’s always a positive to keep ‘em guessing). And a strictly visceral level, this might be the most basely exciting self-contained storyline to date. All in all, not a bad week for Person of Interest.
”Wanna get out of here?” – Zoe
“Where are we going?” – Reese
“To do something illegal.” – Zoe
The self-contained plot centers around a woman (Paige Turco) not quite unlike John Reese. She has no real profession or education, but she supports herself in a two million dollar apartment. How? She’s a fixer. She does favors for people, off the record, in return for cash. And it looks like we might be seeing more of her than just this week’s episode. But for now, what we know of her is that she is hired to retrieve an incriminating recording for Mr. Lawson, (Tim Guinee), a trusted businessman and public figure who runs a pharmaceutical company owned by one Mr. Keller (Brian Murray), whom we find out later on is just as corrupt as his underlings. Assumed to be a recording of an extramarital affair, the tape that Zoe is hired to retrieve from some conniving Internet writer—the worst kind of people—actually reveals a discussion about the horrible side effects the company’s drug has on its users. The conversation is between Lawson and a woman named Dana Miller (Anna Koonin), who was murdered—but pronounced dead by a brain aneurism—six months prior.
This is where the interesting part of the episode comes in. Miller’s number, much like Zoe’s does at the beginning of this week’s episode, came up on Finch’s machine half a year back. However, this was before Finch had tracked down his leg man. So, when Miller was killed, Finch was tortured. This was not specific to Miller: before Reese came around, Finch had to sit idly by as innocent people were murdered whom he could not save. In this episode, Finch explains wistfully how helpless he felt to just watch the machine spit out numbers, forced to accept the inevitability of the circumstances. Although it’s not as gripping as some more concrete backstory, it is good development. Usually—especially in interactions with Reese—all we see of Finch is sort of a hollow, robotic man who has “decided” on this mission he has accepted for himself and for his partner. But to see Finch actually overcome with emotion, it actually shines a little more sense onto the question of why this guy would be leading his life this way. It never actually seemed right to me. Granted, the few snippets we saw of his past—working with a partner who scorned him for his younger days’ disinterest in the “irrelevant” crimes—gave us some insight about what would be driving his superhero complex. But to see Finch actually gutturally affected by a person’s death, and bent on avenging her death by saving another potential victim of the same murderer, makes it ring true a bit louder.
“That’s what I wanted to be. The person who knows what to say and always has something to trade.” – Zoe
Another interesting facet developed in this episode is the idea of a new recurring character. We haven’t gotten any new recurring characters since the pilot, and it’ll be nice to see someone who isn’t Reese or Finch that also isn’t a cop. As stated above, Zoe is a lot like Reese—they establish that from the very beginning, when a parallel is drawn between them in the casing of Zoe’s apartment. Finch finds it odd that Zoe does not have any personal belongings (“things that she cares about”), but Reese identifies immediately with this, claiming that he is the same way. After saving Zoe (he has been posing as her chauffer to stay close to her) from the clutches of Lawson’s henchmen, he opens up some honesty about his ‘line of work’ with her, and they build a kind of Bonnie and Clyde thing, to some degree.
The duo is eventually apprehended by Keller, Lawson and co. Once Zoe reveals that she has sent the incriminating file to a trusted source, she is given the opportunity to live if she leads the men to said source and gives up the file. The events to follow are straight out of a good deal of spy/kidnapping/crooks-in-love movies: everyone thinks she’s leaving him to die, she secretly slips him a clothespin to undo his handcuffs before leaving, once alone with the buffoon-of-a-henchman, the hero takes him down with his own weapon and comes to the rescue of the heroine right as the bad guys find out that she has been playing them. Nothing out of the ordinary here. But what I do like is the hint that Zoe drops at the end regarding a possible reoccurrence. It’ll be nice for Reese to have a friend. Maybe someone to get between him and his work? Him and Finch? Could be interesting.
The Det. Carson storyline in this episode sort of baffles me. I’m not too certain where it is coming from, or where it is going, but we’re invested in it right from the start. What I do like about it is the third awesome guest appearance in a row on POI: Dan Hedaya, one of the best character actors ever as a good-natured cop helping Carson investigate a homicide. The episode ends with Hedaya’s character killed, indicating that the possible reappearance of Zoe isn’t the only cliffhanger this week.
POI is experimenting, and is doing so with success. We’re learning about the characters even when we aren’t aided by flashbacks. Don’t get me wrong—I love the flashbacks…but less is more. Plus, new developments on the Reese/Finch front and the Carson side of it all means stronger overarching story that will, hopefully soon, start to tie all our loose ends together.